Process of making pile yarns and fabrics



y 1949!- I H. P. FARIS 2,475,019

PROUESS 0? KING PILB YARNS MD FABRICS Filed June 10, 1944 2 Sheds-Sheet 2 /wsw m W i flamlgffi'b'ras.

Patented July 5, 1949 PROCESS OF MAKING PILE YARNS AND FABRICS Harold P. Fax-is, Sellersville, Pa., assignor to Prodesco Incorporated, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 10, 1944, Serial No. 539,695

4 Claims. 1

The object of my invention is to produce yarn or fabric of the chenille type comprising a composite structure composed of yarn formed into a helix or helices and maintained in that form by a base strip extending longitudinally thereof and permanently united thereto. The product of my invention may be a number of independent composite structures, each composed of a yarn helix in which the base strip is a single thread extending through the interior of the helix and secured to its inner wall to thereby form a composite chenille or pile-like yarn adapted to be woven into a chenille or pile or pile-like fabric; or the product may consist of a multiplicity of yarn helices all of which are united to a common base fabric or sheet to form a complete chenille or pile or pile-like fabric. The processes by which these two products are formed have novel features in common and similar mechanism may be utilized to manufacture both products.

The drawings show means for practicing the process and thereby producing the products above described.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a complete apparatus adapted to produce yarn in accordance with the process.

Fig. 2 is a detail view of the spindle forming part of the apparatus of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are sections on the lines 3-3 and 4-4 respectively of Fig. ,1.

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing one way, in the operation of the process, of cutting the loops of the yarn to form a pile yarn.

surrounded by the disc 1)) through which, from a spool,.bobbin or other source of supply, g, is fed a binder yarn 11.

Beyond the spindle a is a roll or drum h. The binder yarn extends over the drum h, whose r0- tation may pull the yarn along the spindle a under proper tension at a predetermined speed.

The yarn y, in the course of its travel toward the spindle a, may be treated with a suitable adhesive, preferably a thermoplastic orthermosetting material, capable of being softened and reset by heat. A device i for supplying and applyin the adhesive to the yarn is shown diagrammatically. However, it is preferable to so treat the yarn before it is wound onto the spool or bobbin Q.

As the yarn a:,- in the course of its feed, is rotated by the disc b, it is wrapped aroundthe spindle a and at the same time is wrapped around Fig. 6 is an end view of Fig. 1 showing inv detail From a spool, bobbin, or other source of sup ply, f, yarn a: is fed through a hole d in'the rotatable disc I). I

In the periphery of the spindle a is a longitudinally extending slot or groove e (merging into a hole through that part of the spindle which is the binder yarn y and is automatically fed along, and pushed off, the spindle by the wrapping action, assisted also by, but not necessarily dependent on, the pulling action of the adhesively treated binder thread y.

As the helically wound yarn :1: leaves the spindle, it and the binder yarn 11 contact a heated roll or drum, which may be the drum h, which transmits to the thermoplastic material with which the yarn y is coated the heat required to soften and reset it and thus binds the spiral-wound yarn to the binder yarn, thereby preventing the spiralwound yarn from unravelling.

' Instead of applying the adhesive to the yarn y as it travels toward the spindle a, the adhesive may be applied to a roll or drum, for example, to the drum h, and as the composite yarn passes over the roll the binder yarn (which need not be of a self-sealing type) and spiral-wound yarn may be adhesively united.

so located in the path of travel of the composite I yarn ,as to out the loops along a line parallel to and diamatrically opposite the binder yarn.

Such a cutter may be of any suitable construc- I tion and may be located at any point between near the base of the spindle and a point remote from the free end of the spindle. For example, the cutter may take the form of a razor blade m carried by and at the end of the spindle.

Any number of spindles may be arranged to rotate in unison in order to simultaneously form any number of chenille-like composite yarns. The spindles a and winding discs I) may be arranged in a row or in rows and driven by intermeshing gears 11, one secured to or integral with each disc b, from a common driving gear 0.

It is advisable to provide means for insuring the retention of the binder threads 3 in the grooves e of the spindles a. This may be effected by means of a traveling apron 3, wide enough to contact all the spindles of a row, extending around the drum h and a roller t, the latter being located fairly close to the bases of the spindles.

To form a complete fabric, as distinguished from a composite yarn suitable for weaving, any number of spindles a and discs b revolving therearound may be arranged in a row or rows, and by feeding the spiral-wound yarn onto an adhesively-coated base fabric p, a completed fabric, such as upholstery, carpet, drapery. or any other pile or pile-like fabric, may be formed. The base fabric may be supplied from a roll 1' and pass over rollers r to the drum 71.. On its way to the drum h, thermoplastic or thermosetting adhesive may be applied to the base fabric 3). Each of the individual yarns may be the compound yarn :r-y produced as hereinbefore described. The compound fabric p-x-y (with the loops cut or uncut) then passes around rollers u to a dryer k.

In the manufacture of a complete fabric, all the loops may remain uncut, or all of them may be cut, or part of them may be cut and part re main uncut, thereby forming various texture effects.

The mechanism hereinbefore described is illustrative only, the practice of the process not being" dependent on the use of the particular mechanism shown and described. As indicative of practicable modifications in the mechanism, as well as of variations in the details of the process, the following permissible departures from or amplifications of the specific process and means may be mentioned, but only by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

Thus, the mechanism for wrapping the yarn around a spindle need not be the specific means shown and described. Other known means for uniting materials may be used for securing the spirally-wrapped yarn to the binder yarn or base fabric. One of such known means is the utilization of electronic induction heat at, for example and preferably, the delivery end of a spindle, for fusing a fusible binder yarn or fusible base fabric or both to the spiral yarn. The binder yarn and the spiral yarn need not be the same size or of the same material and will, in fact, ordinarily be of different size and may be of different material. Means known in the art of weaving may be provided to insure continuity of operation, which is especially desirable in the case of the spirally wrapped yarn, since it is used up far more rapidly than the binder yarn.

The mechanism shown and described is capable of wrapping the turns of the wrapped yarn a: close together, but the turns of the fabric may be spaced apart any definite distance desired by any suitable means, such as, for example, varying the speed of rotation of the discs I) or varying the .4 speed of longitudinal travel of the binder yarn In producing the composite yarn :c-y, it is usually desirable to feed the binder yam 1/ through the center of the spool, bobbin or package used to deliver the yarn which is being wrapped, as shown in the drawing. This arrangement insures against entanglement of the two yarns :c and y and is also of like advantage in preventing entanglement between yarns fed to different spindles. But this particular way of feeding the yarn is not an essential feature of the process.

No special means for imposing tension on the yarn during feeding is necessary;' but it may be advantageous to utilize means known in the art of weaving and knitting to impose tension on the yarns, either on both together or on each separately. Such tension device may be a part of the winding arrangement or may be controlled separately. It is desirable that a substantial tension shall be imposed on the binding yarn, and if this tension is independently applied, it may be made to act as a pulling medium on the drum around which the composite yarn or fabric is wound.

In the manufacture of a complete fabric, as distinguished from the manufacture of independent composite yarns, the spindles may be made of various diameters in order to produce a completed fabric having high and low pile effects. The various spindles may deliver various colored yarns, so as to form various color effects across the width of the goods. Yarn of different materials may be fed to different spindles so as to produce texture effects variable within a wide range. The base fabric may be of any character, as, for example, a padding. It need not be a woven or knitted fabric, but may be a sheet of any suitable or synthetically formed material.

In claiming the invention, it is to be understood that the term base strip is intended to apply to either a single reinforcing and binding yarn or thread, such as that hereinbefore referred to as the yarn b, which is used in the formation of a single composite pile yarn, or to a base sheet of any suitable material, such as that lettered p, 45 which is used in the formation of a complete multi-yarn fabric.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a process in which two yarns are fed from 50 a source of supply and in which one yarn is fed at a relatively high speed while being subjected to a rotary movement to form a helix and in which the other or hinder yarn is fed at a relatively low speed through said helix, the improve- 55 ment which comprises maintaining the binder yarn in a straight line in contact with the interior of the traveling helix and in the course of travel of the composite yarn cutting the loops of the helix along a line parallel to and diametrically 60 opposite the binder yarn.

2. In a process in which two yarns are fed from a source of supply and in which one yarn is fed at a relatively high speed while being subjected to a rotary movement to form a helix and in 65 which the other or binder yarn is fed at a relatively low speed through said helix, the improvement which comprises internally supporting said helix for a substantial length of travel beyond the locus at which the helix starts to form around the 70 slow speed yarn to thereby prevent the collapse of the helix and simultaneously throughout said length of travel supporting the low speed yarn and maintaining it in contact with, but not united to, the interior of the helix, freeing said yarns 75 from said support and immediately thereafter -contact with the helix until they are united as specified.

4. The process defined in claim 2 followed by feeding a multiplicity of the freed and united. l0

yarns and a base sheet upon and along a common revoluble support and thereon simultaneously uniting the binder yarns to their respective helical wound yarns and the multiple helically wound yarns to the base sheet.

' l HAROLD P. FARIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following referemces are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Number 2,200 56,815

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Heany Apr. 19, 1921 Mayer Dec. 15, 1931 Kingman Aug. 23, 1932 Underwood Mar. 28, 1933 Mayer Mar. 6, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain 1856 Switzerland June 7, 1911 

